Things to Know Before Sealing Your Natural Stone Surface

Installing natural stone as a means for decorating your home and giving it a rich and elegant look is very common but, it comes with a price. Natural stones namely marble, granite, limestone or travertine are so delicate that there is a huge risk of them getting stained, scratched and etched unless regular maintenance procedures are adopted. Besides, once you install natural stone in your house, you have to be very particular as to how fast it undergoes wear and how and when exactly you need to seal or reseal it. To ensure your natural stone products will provide you with a lifetime of aesthetics and utility, a suitable maintenance program is vital.

Before we approach the issue of sealing, it is very important to note the exact function of a sealer or why we need it at all. Sealers for stone are all below-surface products and will not change in any way, the shape or form of the original finish of the stone surface. Nor will they protect the surface of the stone. They will only go inside the stone by being absorbed by it provided that the stone is porous enough to allow this to happen and will block its pores, thus reducing its natural absorbency rate. This will help prevent the stone from absorbing the accidental spills of the staining substances like tea, wine, lemon juice etc.

You might be unaware of the fact that mercantile type marble, original quality granite and travertine are not very porous and therefore should be inspected by a stone restoration specialist to decide about their sealing requirements. However, many versions of marble and the lighter varieties of granite are more porous and are sure to get stained if not protected with a good-quality impregnator-type stone sealer. In this instance it should also be kept in mind that a vast majority of stones marketed as granite are not original granite. Stones, which are being sold as granite are denser than real granite and hence might not need sealing. Some may even develop problems related to the sealer once you seal it.

In case you have a doubt as to how many applications are needed, you may have to consult an expert stone restoration professional. For some stones that are more porous than others, one application of sealer/impregnator may not be enough. In case of mercantile granite, two applications are recommended. To find out if your stone is perfectly sealed, spill some water on it and wait for approximately half an hour, then wipe it dry. If the surface of the stone does not darken it means that the stone is perfectly sealed. You may use this same test to determine when it is time to reseal.

The Marble Man, Australia’s best natural stone restoration specialist, offers its esteemed clients expert advice on the choice of stones and the most appropriate stone maintenance and restoration procedures.

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